Means for locking containers, conduits, and the like



Dec. 8, 1936..

E; M. H'ULME MEANS FOR LOCKING CONTAINERS, CONDUITS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec; 5; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Jive-A ma- "E. M. HULME Dec. 8, 1936.

MEANS LOCKING CONTAINERS, CONDUITS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 195s Patented Dec. 8, 1936 PATENT "OFFICE MEANS FOR. LOOKING CONTAINERS, CONDUITS, AND THE LIKE,

Edith Maud Hulme, Brighton, England 7 Application December 5, 1935, Serial No. 52,989-

In Great Britain December 13, 1934 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to improved means for locking containers; conduits and the like. The invention can be adopted with closure caps for bottles,'petrol tanks and other receptacles where it is desirable to safeguard against pilfering or risk of mistake in use, e. g. bottles containing poisonand drugs. Likewise the invention is also useful in the locking of petrol taps and valves and other like devices as a safeguard against theft of a motor vehicle and. pilfering petrol. The object ofmy invention is to provide a strong and simple form of lock for use with closure devices in which there are few parts to get out of order or to become distorted or broken.

In carrying one form of my invention into practice with a device suitable for use with a bottle or petrol tank or the like I provide a metal cap of cylindrical form shaped to fit over the neck of a bottle and preferably circumferentially shaped f to provide a quick pitch thread to enable it to be threaded into or about the bottle neck. Rotatably disposed about this cap is a relatively loose cover member in the form of a cylinder having an inwardly turned annular ledge at its base to prevent it from being pulled off the cap. For a bottle closure device the cover member preferably has a half spherical upper part so that a neat, half dome shaped cover member is provided, which will not detract from the appearance of the bottle.

" 1 However, for a petrol tank cap the configuration of the cover member may take the conventional shape to avoid detracting from the normal appearance of the vehicle equipment. The cover member is formed with an internal ledge or has I a suitable number of grub screws or pins extending horizontally therefrom to form abutments against the top of the cap so as to prevent the cover member from being pulled off the cap. In the space between the fiat upperside of the cap and the top of the cover member is provided the locking means for selectively connecting the cover member to the cap to enable both to be rotated as a single unit. A preferred locking means is a key in the form of a cylindrical pin the free end of which is formed with a short eccentric projection, the covermember and cap being shaped to receive the pin and projection respectively.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect I have appended hereto two sheets of drawings illustrating embodiments thereof and wherein:--

a Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing .the closure device together with a bottle to which it is fitted.

Fig. 1a shows an adaptor for use with the closure device shown in Fig. 1 and fitted onto the necks of bottles which, are not 1 threaded.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the in-( 2 vention applied to a screw-on cap suitable for use.

on'petrol tanks andthe like.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional "elevation: showing the invention applied toxa screw-in plugusuitable for use on petrol tanks, beer barrels and the like. Fig. 6 is a' section of the line 5-'-5 of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is an end View of the key.

Fig. Sis a sectional elevation showing the in-.

vention applied to a-known formof closure cap at present adopted on petrol tanks.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an inverted plan View of Fig. 8, and. Fig. 11 is a part sectional elevation showing the invention applied to a petrol tap or the like.

Referring to the drawings, the. device illustrated comprises a cap 10 of cylindrical form and a cover member I l rotatably disposed about-said cap and having fixed-toit a half spherical head I2 to provide a neat external configuration to the 5 device. The cap 10 is adapted to be threaded on. to the threaded neckof-thebottle, but when a bottle not provided with athreaded neck is to be fitted with the closure devicean adaptor cap I3 such as shown in Fig. 1a can be tightly gripped about the top of the neck of the bottle to provide the equivalent of the threads I4 shown on the bottleneck in Fig. 1; This adaptor cap is preferably made of vulcanized rubber and is corrugated internally as shown in the drawings and formed with an external circumferential thread to correspond with the internal threading of the cap Ill. The internal corrugations can correspond with the convolutions of the external 40 thread ofthe adaptor .cap or maybe arranged as a succession of circular channels. Any other suitable method of treating the interior of the adaptor cap may be provided for tightly gripping it about the neck of a bottle. 1

When the bottle or other container to which the device is to be fitted is of such anature that it will be retained for a considerable period, e. g. a refillable bottle; the interior of the adaptor cap l3 may be treated with a suitable adhesive agent to permanently secure it to the neck of the bottle.

If desired, the adaptor cap- 13 may be made of a malleable metal or'alloy which will enable it to be pressed downwardly over the neck of the intendedto be 7 I vice from the container the member II is rela-.

tively immovably coupled to the member II) by a key.

The method shown of readily connecting the members I and I I against relative rotation comprises a key I in the form of a cylindrical pin adapted to be fitted as a smooth but easy fit into:

an axial cylindrical bore IS in the upper member I2 of the cover member II. The memberlZ is relatively fixedly secured to the member II by grub screws I? or other suitable fixing means and the top of the cap member Ill is formed with an eccentric recess I8 which registers with the.

bore I6 but is eccentric in relation thereto. It is preierredto form the bore I6 and eccentric recess I8 in hard metal bushes when the partsv I8 and I2 are made of bakelite and other non-metallic material.

It will be apparent that if the key I5 is formed with a depending integral eccentric projection such as I5a adapted to enter the recess IS a very slight rotation of the key in one direction will frictionally grip the cover member II to the cap I0,.the key also serving as a means to relatively fixedly couple the members Ill and whereupon the cover member II can. be rotated so as to carry with it the cap I0. This projection and the recess may of course be modified in size and relative eccentricity, and also the bore It can accommodate one or more barrels apertured to receive a key shaped to pass therethrough and enter the recess I8. For example, the body part I522 of the key can have any desired number of grooves, flats or ribs to slide along a correspondingly shaped hole orholes in the barrel or barrels rotatable in the cylindrical recess I6.

The key is retained in the device during rotation. of the closure member when applying or when removing the device, but when it is required to close the bottle against use the. key is removed and rotation of the member II will be idle about the member II).

The member I I is inwardly flanged or spun at its lower edge to form an annular ledge Ila adapted to abut against the lower edge of the cap Iii to prevent removal of the cover member I I.

The grub screws II can be obscured by plating the device after the grub screws are fitted in position or by coating the device with a suitable colouring agent. The grub screws I! can be secured against removal by polishing their outer ends flush with the periphery of the member I I.

Asuitable washer or sealing member I9 is fitted inside the member Ito engage the rim'of the neck of the bottle or the rim of the member 4;

In order to maintain the concentricity and to provide easy bearing surfaces for the members Ill and I2 the member I'Bis formed with aconcentric boss Mia and the member I2 is corree spondingly recessed to receive. such boss.

The foregoing features of construction: are adopted in the embodiments shown in Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive with slight modification in: configT uration and also in the means for securing the ber Iil is shaped to replace the existing closure cap provided on petrol tanks or the like.

In Fig. 3 the cap member I 0 is threaded internally and in Fig. 5 externally, the latter embodiment incorporating a flange IIJb on the member It to abut against the rim of the neck 20 and to provide the requisite annular seating for the inturned ledge I Ia of the cover member I I.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 a closure device suitable for use with petrol tanks is shown in which is adapted a lock according to one form of my invention. The closure device embodies the known use of. a. pair of diametrically opposed pair of resilient arms 2| with downturned legs 22 at opposite sides adapted to trip under a pair'of fixed pins 24; and upturned bowed ears 23 at the remaining sides adapted to receive such pins as shown in Fig. 1, the said pins being fixed in the neck 2!! of the petrol tank. The pairs of arms 2i are. formed from a single piece of sheet metal which is secured by rivets 25 to a cupped disc 26 in known manner, but instead of the disc being fixed directly to the cover cap adapted to beheld in the hand as is at present the practice it is fixed to the cap member I!) over which is rotatably fitted the cover member II. Purely by way of example this cover member is shown in this embodiment as made integral with the part I2 and also as having an inwardly spun lower edge forming the ledge Ila. The part I I is formed with a milled outer surface to facilitate manipulation.

It is apparent from the embodiment shown in Fig. 11 that the invention may be applied to a number of purposes where it is required to preventpilfering, because by quite simple adapta tion' a petrol tap or the like 21 can have its plug 28 protected against rotation so that on a motor vehicle or other suitable appliance the supply of petrol or other liquid can be maintained cut off pending access to the key I5. A suitable method of adopting such procedure is to form the plug 28 as an integral or permanently affixed part of a flange like member IIlb, being the equivalent of the hereinbefore described member ID. The wings 28 for rotating the plug are formed on the member I2 to which is aflixed the cover member II. To reduce the thickness of the member I2 the member Iflb can be concentrically recessed as at I90 instead of being bossed as at Illa. aforesaid, and the member I2 is formed with a concentrically bossed part as at I2a to fit in the recess I30. I A cap 30 can be fitted over the usual nut 3| of the plug 28 to prevent rotation of the plug by means of a tool engaged with the nut 3|.

The relative eccentric positions of the parts I5a and I5!) of the key I5 provide a highly positive coupling between the parts It! and I I and there is little risk of fracture or distortion of the key and the parts it engages.

What I claim is:

1. A closure device for bott1es,.petrol tanks and other containers comprising a closure member, a cap encircling the aforementioned closure member and rotatable relatively thereto, a key with a cylindrical part and with an eccentrically related extremity for operatively connecting the cap to the closure member to enable the closure member and cap to be rotated in unison, a circular hole in said cap to receive the cylindrical part of the key, and a key engaging part in said closure member shaped and adapted to fit the said extremity of the key, the said hole and part being eccentrically related and in conjunction with the said key being so shaped that when the key is fitted in said hole and to said part a partial rotation applied to the key effects by reason of said eccentric relationship of the keyhole and said part a seizing or binding couple between the cap and closure member so that they can rotate as one.

2. A closure device for bottles, petrol tanks and other containers comprising a closure member adapted to be engaged with the neck or other convenient part of the receptacle to be closed, a cap encircling the aforementioned closure member and rotatable relatively thereto, a key of circular section, an eccentric projection at one end of said key, said key being adapted to operatively connect the cap to the closure member to enable the closure member and cap to be rotated in unison, an eccentric circular recess formed in the closure member and a circular hole formed in the cap, the said hole and recess being shaped to receive and fit the circular section and eccentric parts of the key whereby upon the key being slightly turned in said eccentric circular hole or recess, the said cap and closure member are slightly rotated relatively to each other so as to cause the cap to bind upon the closure member and so enable the cap and closure member to be rotated as one to unscrew or remove the closure member.

3. A closure device for bottles, petrol tanks and other containers comprising a closure member, a cap encircling the aforementioned closure member and rotatable relatively thereto, a key with a cylindrical part and with an eccentrically related extremity for operatively connecting the cap to the closure member to enable the closure member and cap to be rotated'in unison, a circular hole in said cap to receive the cylindrical part of .the key, and a key engaging part in said closure member shaped and adapted to fit the said extremity of the key, the said hole and part being eccentrically related and in conjunction with the said key being so shaped that when the key is fitted in said hole and to said part a partial rotation applied to the key effects by reason of said eccentric relationship of the keyhole and said part a seizing or binding couple between the cap and closure member so that they can rotate as one, a concentric cylindrical boss and a concentric cylindrical recess being provided in opposed faces of said cap and closure member fitting snugly one within the other, the said hole and recess being located within the circumference thereof.

4. Lock for rotary taps, valves, plug cocks and the like comprising a cylindrical body for rotating the rotary part of the tap, valve or the like, a cap loosely encircling said body and covering the upper face of said body, a central circular aperture in the top of said cap, a cylindrical key adapted to fit in said aperture, and corresponding projection and recess on said key and in said body respectively adapted to fit one within the other and eccentrically related to the axis of said aperture and key, the arrangement being that said cap is adapted to be locked to said body by a partial rotation of said key whereupon said cap and body are coupled to provide an accessible means for rotating the said rotary part of the valve or the like.

EDITH MAUD HULME. 

